


Glitch

by cliniclyInsane189



Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Category: Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Timeline Shenanigans, Whump, as is typical for canon, carlos is only here briefly and doesn't speak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27154862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cliniclyInsane189/pseuds/cliniclyInsane189
Summary: Phoenix wakes up after the non-events of the Decision Game.-Phoenix wakes up after the events of the Decision Game.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947934
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Glitch

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Whumptober 2020 Day 22 - ‘Do these tacos taste funny to you?’ - Poisoned | **Drugged** | Withdrawal.
> 
> Warning for weird structure, which is in keeping with the morphogenic field bullshit occuring.

When Phoenix wakes, they are no longer in that small, windowless room. Instead, they are slumped against the wall of a different, familiar room. The security room in DCOM. Their head is spinning, their limbs feel like lead and, if they’re not careful, they  _ will _ throw up. Their shoulders ache - their hands are cuffed above their head to a pipe. They should probably start working on a way out but, even though they’re awake, the drugs still haven’t left their system.

* * *

_ When Phoenix wakes, they are still in that small, windowless room. Their hands and feet are uncuffed, now, and the monitor in front of them is blank save for a single line of text. They squint at it through the fuzziness in their brain, trying to ignore the nausea swelling in their stomach, how numb their body feels. ‘ _ **_Bad Luck_ ** _ ’, it reads. They close their eyes, dread building inside them. They need to get out of here. _

* * *

The keys to the cuffs are on the desk - that much Phoenix can make out. Thankfully, it is not the same desk that the many monitors are mounted on - that could have proved tricky. Their legs are unrestrained, so they stretch out and hook their foot around the closest leg. The desk is not bolted to the ground - this is a mistake. They tug and bring the desk screeching towards them. Their head throbs, their vision swims, and-

* * *

_ The keys to the exit are on the desk - just beside the monitor. The lights in the room are all off, the only illumination coming from the screen and the digital clock on the wall. It reads 00:00, the numbers spilling eerie red light across the room. They have no idea how things ended, but it surely can’t be good. They stand and sway violently, overcome by a wave of dizziness no doubt caused by the Soporil (and whatever else they were dosed with) still lingering in their system. They brace themselves against the table and- _

* * *

-and they take a deep breath, steadying themselves as best they can. A few more breaths and they’re relatively stable, though they will surely regret forcing themselves to move so much later. They stretch themselves out, keeping one leg hooked around a led of the desk and kick it hard from underneath. It topples over and they extricate themselves from under it carefully. They get the key under one foot and drag it towards them.

* * *

_ After a moment, they’ve steadied themselves enough that they can move. They pick up the key and shove it in their pocket, then turn on the computer, fishing a USB drive out of a hidden slot in their belt. All they need to do is plug it in and wait, and then they can get the hell out of this place. _

* * *

After some careful manoevering, Phoenix gets the key into one of their hands and, from there, into the slot on the cuffs. Then, it is a fairly simple task to get themselves out of the cuffs and, shakily, to their feet. They stumble over to the desk that is covered with monitors - all linked to both the main computer and the security cameras - rubbing sensation back into their wrists and hands and collapse into a chair, still too woozy to keep themselves upright. They check the cameras - no-one is inside. Everyone is outside. They-

* * *

_ -need to get outside. They shove the USB drive into their pocket and stagger over to the door. They take the key, unlock the door and stumble outside. They’re at the end of a corridor. Beside the door is a box. Within that box is a burner phone and a white and black king. Phoenix swallows bile and takes every item. They check the phone. No signal. But the date… The date is January 1st 2029. It is 06:00. Dread begins to curl inside them and they begin to stumble down the hall, going as fast as they can with their pounding, swimming head and jelly-like limbs. _

* * *

The date is January 1st 2029. It is 12:00. They stare at the screen, startled, then whirl around to make their way outside, swaying violently. They slam the door open and stalk down the halls of DCOM feeling a sense of vicious triumph welling up inside them, despite the sick feeling in their stomach. Their hand clenches tight around the object that had been left for them by the monitors. A white king, lying on its side. They open the door quietly and step out into the blaring Nevada sunlight.

* * *

_ Phoenix stumbles out of the lift and catches themselves on the wall. It’s still dark, but the sun will begin to rise soon. They should not be able to tell this, they realise. The room they are in is several metres underground and in the centre is a platform lift. It looks like a bomb went off. That was probably the case. There are three others there - ones they recognise, though they’ve only met two. The blond is looking over at them. They meet eyes and he frowns, shakes his head. So. It was this timeline. _

* * *

They’ve won.

* * *

_ No-one’s won. _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


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